Talking Story Archives - Page 32 of 114

Japanese flotsam, Part 2

Posted by Ken Campbell February 1, 2012 1 Comment 1238 views

I was taught that flotsam is a term that refers to floating debris, while jetsam denotes stuff that has washed ashore. I don’t remember how old I was when I was instructed thus, but I do remember who told me, and he was incorrect. Confident, but incorrect. So, just in case you’re ever in the […]

Don Starkell, 1932 – 2012

Posted by Ken Campbell January 31, 2012 0 Comment 1290 views

I have been reflecting lately on the way that the idea of death intrudes on the living as time goes by. When we are young, death dwells in the province of older folk, so distant and separate, almost on a different planet. But then, as we age, death comes a little closer. Imperceptibly almost, stealthy, […]

Commencement Bay solo

Posted by Ken Campbell January 30, 2012 0 Comment 1140 views

Mary and Micah dropped me off right at 1pm. I was a bit surprised that I didn’t see any of the other paddlers at the park, but maybe they were running a little late. I packed my gear and got the kayak down to the beach, waited around for the group to show. The sky […]

Getting my retail on

Posted by Ken Campbell January 28, 2012 2 Comments 1103 views

Even though I mentioned it in a blurb there on the right side of the page, I think this bit of news deserves its own special entry: Azimuth Expeditions, the guide service and kayaking instruction outfit I started back in 2003, is going to be going through a major change. Azimuth grew out of Tahoma […]

On ice

Posted by Ken Campbell January 27, 2012 0 Comment 1091 views

There used to be a bar at the Paradise Inn up at Mount Rainier. I don’t know if it was a good bar or not, but I seem to remember that I had a pretty good time there. There was one time, seven of us in our party, me and Tony, and 5 Brits. I […]

The wrath of Aeolus

Posted by Ken Campbell January 25, 2012 0 Comment 1241 views

I was awakened by the wind this morning. Actually, I woke up at a few points during the night to the sound of the gales whipping through the trees on the hillside above the house and the waves crashing on the beach. There are some who profess to like the wind; I am not one […]

Japanese flotsam, Part 1

Posted by Ken Campbell January 22, 2012 2 Comments 1590 views

The first glass fishing net floats came out of Norway, back in the mid-1800’s. I didn’t realize this… I just assumed that they were a Japanese invention, possibly because I live on the Pacific coast and the ones that make their way to beaches in North America started their journeys in the land of the […]

Paper routes and chain saws

Posted by Ken Campbell January 21, 2012 0 Comment 1406 views

The snow that we had dumped on us earlier in the week is gone, or mostly gone. There are still some folks without power, although that scene is about over as well. It’s back to normal, or whatever normal may mean, anyway. The wind is still with us though, and is expected to continue, knocking […]

Brother, can you spare a ham on rye?

Posted by Ken Campbell January 20, 2012 0 Comment 984 views

There’s a fox up at Paradise, hanging out near the visitor’s center. He’s given up the wild life for the easy handout, given up fresh meat for stale popcorn and bologna sandwiches. Ignorant tourists feed him their Wonder bread and HoHo’s, and they get dumber while he gets softer. Begging is never pretty.

Heavy reading

Posted by Ken Campbell January 19, 2012 0 Comment 1185 views

I was thumbing through the latest issue of Orion magazine, when I came across an article by Paul Kingsnorth, Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist. It is an excellent piece and I’m not going to try to condense the whole thing here – you should probably go read it for yourself. The synopsis would be something […]